Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it made representations to the European Commission prior their proposals for changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes being announced and, if so, whether it will detail such representations.

Ross Finnie: The European Commission drew up its proposals about possible changes to the suckler cow and beef special premium schemes without consultation. Representations were made to the European Commission at the earliest opportunity following the publication of the Commission proposed regulation. I attended the Agriculture Council on 19 February and officials from my department attended SCA on 19 February and a Council Working Group on 28 February.

Cancer

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many health trusts provide taxane treatments for ovarian cancer.

Susan Deacon: Taxol and Taxotere are recommended for hospital use only. Centrally collected data relates to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors. Information about the number of women prescribed Taxol and Taxotere as part of their treatment is not therefore available centrally.

Census

Gordon Jackson (Glasgow Govan) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made to review the procedures for safeguarding the security and confidentiality of information to be collected in the 2001 Census in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: Independent reviews of the physical security arrangements for processing the 2001 Census information and the measures to protect the statistical confidentiality of the data were commissioned by the Registrar Generals for Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland and undertaken last year. The outcome of the reviews and recommendations of the Review Teams, including a joint statement from the Registrars General were published today in a report by the Office for National Statistics, the General Register Office for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The Registrars General have accepted all the recommendations and have acted on them or are taking action to ensure they are implemented.

  I am placing a copy in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. no. 11193). Additional copies are available in the Document Supply Centre.

Civil Servants

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been moved to Dumfries and Galloway since July 1999 and how many will be moved to the area in the next 12 months.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive and its agencies currently have around 230 posts in Dumfries and Galloway. There has been no transfer of Scottish Executive posts to this area since July 1999. Two new posts have been created in the region.

  Last December I announced to Parliament that detailed reviews of the Edinburgh operations of six public bodies would be undertaken to individual timetables based on lease breaks and other operational factors. In accordance with this timetable we aim to be in a position to make decisions on the location of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency by the end of March and the Health Education Board for Scotland in mid-2001.

  I also announced at that time that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council would not be located in Edinburgh. Mr Chisholm announced on 6 March that the national offices of these two new bodies will - if the Parliament passes the necessary legislation to enable them to be established - be located in Dundee. Decisions on regional offices for the Commission will be announced shortly.

Civil Servants

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been relocated to (a) Stirling, (b) Perth and Kinross, (c) Angus, (d) Fife and (e) Clackmannanshire local authority areas since July 1999 and how many are expected to be moved to each area in the next 12 months.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive and its agencies currently have around 1,490 posts in these local authority areas. One Scottish Executive post has been transferred to these areas since July 1999.

  Last December I announced to Parliament that detailed reviews of the Edinburgh operations of six public bodies would be undertaken to individual timetables based on lease breaks and other operational factors. In accordance with this timetable we aim to be in a position to make decisions on the location of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency by the end of March and the Health Education Board for Scotland in mid-2001.

  I also announced at that time that the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council would not be located in Edinburgh. Mr Chisholm announced on 6 March that the national offices of these two new bodies will - if the Parliament passes the necessary legislation to enable them to be established - be located in Dundee. Decisions on regional offices for the Commission will be announced shortly.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money the Coalfields Regeneration Trust has made or will be making available to address the social and economic regeneration needs of coalfield communities in Scotland in each year for which figures are available.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Coalfields Regeneration Trust was formally launched in Scotland in March 2000 and is being funded by £4.5 million over three years from the Scottish Executive.

  The trust reports that, as of the end of January 2001, over £3.9 million has been committed to projects in Scotland. To date the trust has paid out £2.3 million in grants.

Community Care

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been in hospital awaiting a community care place in each health board area, broken down for each month since the establishment of the National Data Recording for Delayed Discharge, and how many of these have been mental health patients.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information as specified is not available centrally. Information on patients ready for discharge is currently available only for the national census carried out on 30 September 2000. Full details of the September 2000 census are available on website:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/scottish_health_statistics/subject/ready_for_discharge/sept00.pdf

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Care Development Group will redefine the Sutherland Commission definition of "personal care" as set out in Chapter 6 of the Commission’s Report.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Care Development Group has been asked to provide a clear definition of what is meant by personal care as part of its terms of reference. The group will decide how best to fulfil its remit and will report in August 2001.

Education

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it plans to have with local authorities in the Highlands and Islands regarding the teaching of Norse and Gaelic history in schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has no plans to discuss this issue with local authorities.

Elections

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment of the cost of introducing online voting to local elections and, if so, what that cost would be.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has made no such assessment.

Employment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what control measures and monitoring processes have been put in place to ensure that existing agreed terms and conditions under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation for transferred employees are adhered to during the term of the trunk road maintenance contracts.

Sarah Boyack: The contract conditions require the contractor to be responsible for bearing all costs, expenses, liabilities and obligations that arise from the TUPE Regulations where on any part of the contract there has been a Transfer of an Undertaking to the new operating company.

  The Scottish Executive have powers to require the contractor at any time to provide information on the status of employees.

European Convention on Human Rights

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12855 by Mr Jack McConnell on 9 February 2001, what the implications of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights are for education appeals submitted to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Mr Jack McConnell: We have no reason to believe that the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeals process is incompatible with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Any challenge to the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeals process under the Convention would be a matter for the courts to decide.

European Convention on Human Rights

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still a tenable position, in the light of the European Convention on Human Rights, for a Fiscal or officer of the Crown to say that the reasons for taking a particular course of action are confidential.

Neil Davidson: It is considered that the practice of keeping reasons for prosecution decision making confidential is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Convention does not give victims any general right to have cases prosecuted but the Article 8 right to respect for private life does militate against any step which risks putting private information about victims or unprosecuted accused persons into the public domain. The possibility that prosecution might well be necessary in some cases in order to protect inter alia the Article 8 interests of victims is, of course, a factor in decision making.

Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive by how much it will increase investment in health and education services in real terms in each of the next three years.

Angus MacKay: The record real terms increases in expenditure in health and education over the next three years are set out in the Executive’s draft budget document Making a difference for Scotland .

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much cash was moved within the Scottish budget in each financial year for which figures are available (a) in total, (b) due to inter-departmental transfers, (c) due to new resources being added in, (d) due to resources being transferred out and (e) for any other reason.

Angus MacKay: In-year changes to the Scottish Budget for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are set out in the Autumn, Winter and Spring Revisions for both years.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the amount of (a) employers’ and (b) employees’ National Insurance contributions paid from the Scottish budget was in each year for which figures are available, in total and broken down into the amount paid from the budgets of each of its core and associated departments and each of its agencies.

Angus MacKay: The table sets out the employers’ and employees’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the core Scottish Executive, associated departments and agencies.

  





1999-2000 
  

2000-01 (estimate) 
  



Employees NICs 
  

Employers NICs 
  

Total NICs 
  

Employees NICs 
  

Employers NICs 
  

Total NICs 
  



£000 
  

£000 
  

£000 
  

£000 
  

£000 
  

£000 
  



Scottish Executive Core 
  

4,173 
  

5,859 
  

10,032 
  

4,896 
  

6,979 
  

11,875 
  



Other Agencies and Associated Departments*


1,483 
  

1,776 
  

3,259 
  

1,561 
  

1,934 
  

3,495 
  



Scottish Court Service 
  

864 
  

919 
  

1,783 
  

918 
  

1,031 
  

1,949 
  



Scottish Prison Service 
  

6,662 
  

6,947 
  

13,609 
  

6,859 
  

6,265 
  

13,124 
  



Historic Scotland 
  

760 
  

859 
  

1,619 
  

751 
  

882 
  

1,633 
  



Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service 
  

1,256 
  

1,670 
  

2,926 
  

1,343 
  

1,750 
  

3,093 
  



Registers of Scotland 
  

1,366 
  

1,476 
  

2,842 
  

1,434 
  

1,587 
  

3,021 
  



  *Comprises: National Archives of Scotland, General Register Office for Scotland, Food Standards Agency, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Student Awards Agency, Scottish Public Pension Agency, Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.

  Excluded from the figures are contributions made in respect of Scottish Executive staff who are on loan or secondment to other bodies, e.g. CICA, Scotland office etc, but we can let you have these if you think they should be included.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any taxes and charges paid from resources from the Scottish budget other than value added tax and National Insurance contributions which return to Her Majesty’s Treasury and whether it will estimate the amount paid from the Scottish budget in respect of each such tax or charge in each year for which figures are available, including any future years for which projections are available.

Angus MacKay: There are no significant charges or taxes other than VAT and NICs that are paid to HM Treasury directly from the Scottish budget.

Fisheries

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will make to the recent report of the Scottish Fish Processors’ Working Group.

Rhona Brankin: I have today written to the group with the Executive’s formal response. Copies of that response have been lodged in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre. I am pleased to be able to report to Parliament that the Executive has broadly endorsed much of the recommendations contained in the report and that we will be making approximately £1 million available for its implementation.

General Practitioners

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what rules exist to govern the advertising of vacancies for general practitioners in rural areas in relation to (a) the number of adverts to be placed, (b) the duration of the advertising campaign and (c) the publications in which adverts should appear; whether any such guidelines were followed in relation to the advertising of the vacancy in Helmsdale and, if there are no such guidelines, whether it will instruct Highland Primary Health Care NHS Trust to readvertise this post.

Susan Deacon: The rules which govern the advertising of vacancies for general practitioners are set out in the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995. The regulations require the notice of vacancy to include details of the practice and the closing date for applications. They also require the health board or Primary Care Trust to bring the vacancy to the attention of prospective applicants outside the area. These requirements were followed by Highland Primary Care NHS Trust in relation to the vacancy at Helmsdale.

  The number of adverts to be placed, the duration of the exercise and the publications in which adverts appear are not laid down in regulations and are matters for decision locally.

General Practitioners

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many general practitioners it anticipates will be recruited in each year to 2004.

Susan Deacon: Robust information on the expected number of general medical practitioners that will be recruited is not currently available. The General Practitioner sub-committee of the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Medical Workforce is currently working with ISD Scotland to develop a statistical model to project supply and demand of the GP workforce in Scotland.

General Practitioners

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11191 by Susan Deacon on 30 November 2000, how many general practitioners were recruited in 2000.

Susan Deacon: Robust information on the number of general medical practitioners recruited in any year is not available.

Government Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all of its e-government projects are on schedule and on budget.

Angus MacKay: I am happy to say that virtually all of the e-government projects in which the Executive is directly involved are currently on schedule and within budget. The table below gives more details of the Executive’s major e-government projects. The published 21st Century Government Action Plan gives details of e-government projects ongoing across the wider public sector.

  


Project 
  

On Schedule? 
  

On Budget? 
  



Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) of Agricultural Grants 
  and Subsidies 
  

A pilot project of one of the subsidy schemes, with a limited 
  number of claimants, was completed towards the end of 2000 
  and proved the concept of collecting subsidy claims through 
  electronic means. Following assessment of the pilot, work 
  is in hand on the development of a full system for commencement 
  in July 2001. ESD will be progressively rolled out across 
  the main agriculture grant and subsidy schemes over the 
  next three years. 
  

Yes 
  



Electronic Cattle Traceability 
  

This project comprises two main components, the development 
  of a system to allow farmers to transmit cattle traceability 
  through electronic means and also the electronic identification 
  of cattle. There has been very good progress on arrangements 
  for the electronic transmission of cattle traceability information 
  with the system becoming operational in February 2001. Details 
  of a supported roll-out of the system, including the electronic 
  identification of cattle will be announced later this year. 
  

Yes 
  



LINETS 
  

Development of the Legal Information Network for Scotland 
  (LINETS) to provide law, administration 
  and police service professionals, initially in public sector 
  departments, with access to networked, computer based statute 
  and case law, and other related information is currently 
  on schedule. 
  

Yes 
  



ISCJIS 
  

Development of the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice 
  Information Systems (ISCJIS) programme to link the computer 
  systems of the various criminal justice organisations within 
  Scotland is not currently on schedule, but this programme 
  is dependent on agencies other than the SE. 
   
  

Yes 
  



NHSNet 
  

All GPs and hospitals in Scotland are connected to NHSNet 
  enabling data to be passed electronically. Scotland-wide 
  roll out of Electronic Clinical Communication Implementation 
  project, enabling e.g. referral and discharge letters, appointment 
  booking, test results etc to be communicated electronically, 
  is planned by 2002-03. Project is currently on schedule. 
  

Yes 
  



Scottish Health on the Web 
  

Scottish Health on the Web (SHOW) is the internet presence 
  for the NHS in Scotland and associated organisations. It 
  comprises some 120 websites, including the major health 
  promotion site HEBSweb, and provides a wide range of information 
  and links on health matters. There are currently some four 
  million accesses per month; further developments are planned 
  and are on schedule. 
  

Yes 
  



NHS 24 
  

Scotland’s equivalent of NHS Direct (NHS 24) 
  will be established during 2001 with full roll out 
  quickly thereafter. It will be an integrated system offering 
  advice on health care issues; or information on health and 
  services; or an assessment of symptoms by a trained nurse 
  in one phone call. The project is on schedule. 
  

Yes 
  



UK Online 
  

UK online is a project aimed at giving citizens online 
  access to government information and services. As part of 
  this project the UK online citizens portal has been developed. 
  UK online now contains six Life Episodes. Each Life Episode 
  has a Champion from within the Executive and Associated 
  Departments. Its contents from a Scottish viewpoint are 
  driven by input from stakeholders from within and out-with 
  the Executive. Further developments are planned, and are 
  on schedule. 
  

Yes – to date no direct Scottish cost - time only. 
  



Scottish National Public Transport Timetable 
  

The Scottish Executive has worked with local authorities 
  and transport operators to deliver the Scottish National 
  Public Transport Timetable, providing a 
  simple way to plan journeys using IT and partnership working 
  to focus on the needs of the individual traveller. The system 
  went live on 3 January 2001 
  

Yes 
  



NADICS traffic information website 
  

This website provides online trunk road Traffic Information 
  and has links to other transport related sites such as CalMac; 
  SPT; CityLink; AA/RAC; Police; Tourist Boards. Planned developments 
  (including plans to display live CCTV pictures of traffic 
  conditions at stress points on the trunk road network) are 
  all on schedule. 
  

Yes

Government Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its agencies or departments have been nominated in any categories in this year’s Government Computing Innovation Awards.

Angus MacKay: Nominations for the Government Computing Innovation Awards come from a wide variety of sources. It is not possible to provide details of nominees for this year’s awards, as the closing date for nominations is 30 March 2001.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research is being carried out into the long-term use of benzodiazepines.

Susan Deacon: No comprehensive record of all research into the long-term use of benzodiazepines is held centrally. Within the Scottish Executive Health Department, however, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research to improve both the health of the people in Scotland and the services provided by the NHS. The Executive is aware of eight ongoing benzodiazepine research projects in the UK. Details of these projects are available from the National Research Register (NRR), a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Health

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the availability of treatment or therapies for the improvement of the physical and life skills of adults with developmental dyspraxia.

Susan Deacon: Health boards are expected to respond to the health needs of people with developmental dyspraxia in their areas, based on their assessment of local needs. Services should be provided which reflect the individual needs of the patient.

Health

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is currently available to support groups helping individuals suffering from the side effects of hormone replacement therapy.

Susan Deacon: It is open to national voluntary organisations involved in health-related activities, which complement those provided by the NHS, to apply for funding assistance under section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978. Health boards also have delegated authority to provide grants under section 16B to local voluntary groups, where appropriate. Each application received is carefully considered on its merits, alongside competing demands. I understand that the Executive has not received an application for section 16B funding from any group supporting those suffering from the side effects of hormone replacement therapy.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Medical Council’s guidance Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information is having on the collection of personal health information for use by the health service and what implications these provisions will have for the Scottish Data Set.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive recognises that the implications of this Act are wide ranging and its interpretation not without difficulty. For this reason the Confidentiality and Security Advisory Group for Scotland (CSAGS) was established to provide advice on the confidentiality and security of health-related information to the Scottish Executive, the Public and to Health Care Professionals.

  CSAGS will, subject to consultation, issue policy advice and a series of guidance notes intended to codify practice in the proper use of personal health information for reasons other than direct patient care. Guidance and information is being sought from both the Information Commissioner and the GMC.

  The main task in the immediate future is to develop a small number of principles to underpin the use of personal health information by the NHS Scotland and related bodies (including disease registers). The principles will be incorporated into a revised Code of Practice on the Confidentiality of Personal Health Information providing detailed guidance to the NHS Scotland and other agencies prior to the expiry of the main batch of transitional arrangements to the 1998 Act in October 2001.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution the Scottish Data Set has made in the fight against disease.

Susan Deacon: Scotland has a unique Health Data Set that permits more detailed analyses of health information than is possible in the rest of Europe, apart from the Scandinavian countries. Patient identifiable data have been collected for over 30 years, and used to link together individual patient experiences until death. By linking administrative data sets with individual research and audit data we can investigate the impact of key policy changes and medical interventions on improving survival rates and reducing incidence and prevalence of disease. Examples include:

  improving survival rates from diagnosis of cancer;

  demonstrate the benefits of cancer screening and impact of adjuvant therapy on survival for breast cancer;

  identify clusters of disease which could not have occurred by chance;

  identifying possible contacts for infectious disease outbreaks (AIDS; E.coli; BSE; meningitis) for fast tracing to contain the outbreak;

  post-market surveillance of drugs and vaccines for adverse effects in the general population.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any collection of health information have been discontinued as a result of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Medical Council guidance Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information .

Susan Deacon: It is not known whether any significant collections of health information have been discontinued due to the introduction of the Act and subsequent guidance issued by the General Medical Council (GMC). However, it is known that health professionals will seek patient consent wherever possible to continue to share health information.

  NHS HDL (2001) 1 "The use of personal health information, submission of records to Information and Statistics Division, disease registers and the Confidentiality and Security Advisory Group Scotland (CSAGS)" was issued in January 2001 giving updated guidance on the transmission of personal health information. It encouraged the resumption of data flows which had ceased since the enactment of the Data Protection Act 1998, outlined a series of actions which were necessary to take to meet the terms of the Act, and announced the formation of the CSAGS.

Health Education

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has made with agencies involved in determining the school curriculum with regard to the inclusion of antenatal health promotion in personal and social development studies, as suggested in its report A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland .

Susan Deacon: Authorities are encouraged to address health education within a comprehensive programme of personal and social education. This approach is designed to ensure that information is given, not in isolation, but as part of a programme aimed at helping young people to develop sound lifestyle choices and healthy living. Pre-conceptual, antenatal and post-natal care will all feature in an effective health education programme.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it is undertaking of student poverty and its effects on academic performance.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is not currently undertaking any analysis of the various factors which may affect academic performance.

Homelessness

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has done on the health problems faced by rough sleepers in Edinburgh.

Malcolm Chisholm: The NHS in Lothian and various Edinburgh-based voluntary organisations have conducted a number of exploratory research projects and analyses of the health needs of the homeless population.

  This year, the Lothian RSI partnership received around £1 million to improve health care services for rough sleepers. This will provide additional health workers, not just in Edinburgh but also in East and West Lothian; enhanced services, upgraded medical equipment and it will fund two research projects.

  Lothian has also taken advantage of new Personal Medical Services arrangements for GPs. The Edinburgh Homeless Practice has three salaried GPs and a dedicated primary care team for homeless people. Independent research carried out on The Edinburgh Homeless Practice recently, as part of its Personal Medical Services pilot, praised the service provided to homeless people, and the approach taken by staff.

  Our National Health, the Health Plan for Scotland, recognises the need for the NHS to respond effectively to the needs of homeless people and rough sleepers as a key element in tackling health inequalities. The Executive is continuing to act to ensure that the health needs of rough sleepers are addressed effectively. This will include issuing guidance to health boards and Trusts on addressing the health and health care needs of homeless people.

Hospitals

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is prepared in principle to assist the funding of a new south side hospital in Glasgow by making available a significant part of the funds required for such a project through direct capital grant.

Susan Deacon: I welcome the prospect of a redesign of south side hospitals services in Glasgow. The Scottish Executive Health Department will play its full part in ensuring that the plans eventually agreed are pursued.

  The Health Department will assess any Business Case received from Greater Glasgow Health Board for the provision of redesigned hospital services on the south side of the city.

  Current guidelines indicate that all available funding routes should be fully explored at the capital planning stage.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how tenants will be represented in the Glasgow Housing Association in the event of housing stock transfer.

Ms Margaret Curran: The constitution of the Glasgow Housing Association states that the association shall have a committee of up to 24 members and that up to nine of its committee members shall be tenant committee members.

Justice

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change the system regarding summary warrants in such a way that the party proceeded against knows when the warrant will come to court and has an opportunity to defend him or herself.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have no plans to change the procedure for the granting of a summary warrant.

Justice

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidance is given to local authorities regarding the use of poindings and warrant sales as a means of increasing the collection rates of council tax.

Peter Peacock: The joint "It Pays to Pay" Working Group on council tax collection, which we established, is preparing protocol guidance for local authorities which will promote uniformity of practice. The protocol will set down appropriate procedures to be adopted between local authorities and agents employed by them when recovering debt and instructing enforcement action. In addition, COSLA is preparing best practice guidance for issue to local authorities.

  Poindings and warrant sales are, of course, to be abolished not later than 31 December 2002. The working group set up by the Deputy First Minister to identify a replacement for poinding and warrant sale is making good progress and is due to report to the Deputy First Minister in June. Any replacement which is brought into effect will be the subject of appropriate guidance.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the working group on a replacement for poindings and warrant sales will be able to make recommendations regarding the system of diligence as a whole, including issues such as a comprehensive system of debt counselling.

Angus MacKay: The remit and details of the work of the working group are available on the Scottish Executive website. The full address can be obtained from the Parliament’s Reference Centre. The Deputy First Minister announced on 8 June 2000 that, in addition to the work on poinding and warrant sale, the Executive would review the law of diligence as a whole, and made clear that representations would be welcome from anyone. In any event, any proposals for reform will be the subject of consultation. It is, of course, open to the working group to make known any concerns which it may have as a result of its deliberations but which lie beyond its own remit.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 4(1)(g) of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will apply to the grounds of hotels which are currently kept exclusively for the use of hotel guests.

Mr Jim Wallace: Hotels and their grounds will, in general, be excluded from the right of access by virtue of section 4(1)(a) and (b) of the draft Bill. Section 4(1)(g) is intended to apply to land where members of the public are only admitted on payment at present. It appears that it is unlikely to apply in the circumstances described.

Maternity Services

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the public will be made aware of the changes to service delivery proposed in its report A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland and whether it will undertake a public education programme in relation to these changes.

Susan Deacon: A leaflet on the Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland has been produced and widely distributed for the public, particularly in places where women access health information and advice.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10801 by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001, whether it will publish in full the review relating to the care proposals for mentally disordered offenders carried out by the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health Service and, if so when.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy proposals it intends to bring forward with regard to the care, treatment and support of mentally disordered offenders.

Malcolm Chisholm: Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , confirmed our publication plans for the national review. The promised audit document was published on 12 February and at the same time all health and social care agencies received a progress assessment report specific to their own area set within the national context findings.

  This now provides agencies with the original 1999 template guidance, a local digest of their own position within the national context and a care pathway planning and audit tool. Summary reports on continuing progress have been invited from all agencies for September this year and thereafter.

  Work continues with the local authorities and NHS Trusts on a National Discharge Protocol for Mentally Disordered Offenders for publication later this year. Work is also progressing on the recommendations of the Millan and MacLean Committees, some of which focus on mentally disordered offenders. Our policy proposals will be announced in the coming months following proper consultation.

  Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change (Bib. no. 10298) is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

NHS Expenditure

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on treatment of those suffering from (a) multiple sclerosis and (b) myalgic encephalomyelitis in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-2000, broken down by health board.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Expenditure

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been made in administrative costs due to the abolition of fundholding practices, broken down by health board area.

Susan Deacon: The £13.5 million which was formally paid as a management allowance to GP fundholding practices has been allocated to health boards on a capitation basis to support the development of Local Healthcare Co-operatives. LHCCs play a vital role in the planning and delivery of health improvement and health care services at a local level.

NHS Funding

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much capital funding was allocated to the NHS in Scotland in each of the last three years and how much will be allocated in each of the next three years, broken down by health board area in each case.

Susan Deacon: The following table sets out the capital allocations issued to the NHSScotland on a health board area basis for the period 1998-99 to 2000-01:

  


Health Board 
  

1998-99
Allocation
(£000) 
  

1999-2000
Allocation
(£000) 
  

2000-01
Allocation
(£000) 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

6,200 
  

3,750 
  

7,812 
  



Ayr & Arran 
  

7,335 
  

3,411 
  

3,369 
  



Borders 
  

4,352 
  

5,943 
  

1,238 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1,969 
  

2,423 
  

1,882 
  



Fife 
  

3,266 
  

5,837 
  

4,251 
  



Forth Valley 
  

4,951 
  

6,178 
  

3,929 
  



Grampian 
  

12,343 
  

8,167 
  

11,869 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

27,535 
  

45,341 
  

59,884 
  



Highland 
  

5,726 
  

5,371 
  

4,137 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

19,960 
  

10,525 
  

16,718 
  



Lothian 
  

33,616 
  

39,173 
  

32,083 
  



Orkney 
  

1,353 
  

2,474 
  

4,385 
  



Shetland 
  

1,052 
  

2,279 
  

330 
  



Tayside 
  

16,774 
  

6,665 
  

8,326 
  



Western Isles 
  

972 
  

3,345 
  

5,052 
  



Total 
  

147,404 
  

150,882 
  

165,265 
  



  * The 2000-01 figures are provisional.

  In addition, capital to revenue transfers amounting to £37.3 million, £40.7 million and £35.7 million in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 respectively were made to enable health boards and NHS Trusts to meet the costs of minor projects and non-added value elements of capital schemes.

  Capital allocations for Unified Health Boards for the next three years have still to be determined.

NHS Waiting Times

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the NHSiS waiting times and lists for first out-patient appointments in the year 2000.

Susan Deacon: Information on waiting lists is collected centrally only for hospital in-patients and day cases.

  Waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant following referral by a General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner, for each quarter in the year 2000, were published on 28 February 2001, and are available on the internet at

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/acute_activity/index.htm.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6438 by Henry McLeish on 12 May 2000, whether it will provide an updated breakdown, by unit of delivery, of people who have moved into unsubsidised employment since the New Deal was introduced.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of New Deal. In Scotland, it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  The Unit of Delivery table details the number of young people who have moved into unsubsidised employment (both sustained and unsustained) since it was introduced (figures to end-November 2000).

  


Unit of Delivery 
  

Entered Unsubsidised Employment 
  



Tayside 
  

2,380 
  



Ayrshire 
  

2,600 
  



Borders 
  

446 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

715 
  



Dumbarton 
  

1,196 
  



Edinburgh, East & Midlothian 
  

2,078 
  



Fife 
  

2,092 
  



Forth Valley 
  

1,557 
  



Glasgow 
  

4,400 
  



Grampian 
  

1,135 
  



Moray, Strathspey & Badenoch 
  

322 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

4,064 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

1,746 
  



West Lothian 
  

836 
  



Argyll & The Islands 
  

306 
  



Caithness and Sutherland 
  

159 
  



Inverness & Nairn 
  

279 
  



Lochaber 
  

63 
  



Western Isles 
  

119 
  



Orkney 
  

46 
  



Ross & Cromarty 
  

226 
  



Shetland 
  

43 
  



Skye & Lochalsh 
  

53 
  



Total 
  

26,861

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have entered the New Deal for Young People since its inception and how many, having completed the programme, have gone back to claiming benefits.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland, it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  There have been 65,011 starts on New Deal for Young People since the launch of the programme.

  6,349 clients leaving the New Deal for Young People from Follow Through have returned to claiming benefits (data to end-December 2000).

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have moved into unsubsidised employment directly from the Gateway stage since the scheme’s inception, broken down by unit of delivery.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  The table details the number of 18-24 New Deal clients who have moved into unsubsidised employment directly from the Gateway stage since the programme began, broken down by Unit of Delivery.

  


Unit of Delivery 
  

Entered Unsubsidised Employment 
  



Tayside 
  

1,162 
  



Ayrshire 
  

1,311 
  



Borders 
  

220 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

346 
  



Dumbarton 
  

672 
  



Edinburgh, East & Midlothian 
  

1,155 
  



Fife 
  

1,061 
  



Forth Valley 
  

867 
  



Glasgow 
  

2,148 
  



Grampian 
  

691 
  



Moray, Strathspey & Badenoch 
  

168 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

2,195 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

856 
  



West Lothian 
  

447 
  



Argyll & The Islands 
  

167 
  



Caithness and Sutherland 
  

87 
  



Inverness & Nairn 
  

142 
  



Lochaber 
  

48 
  



Western Isles 
  

52 
  



Orkney 
  

27 
  



Ross & Cromarty 
  

128 
  



Shetland 
  

24 
  



Skye & Lochalsh 
  

39 
  



Total 
  

14,013

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have participated in the New Deal for Young People more than once since its inception, broken down by unit of delivery.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  The table details the number of people who have participated in the New Deal for Young People more than once since its inception, broken down by unit of delivery.

  


Unit of Delivery 
  
 



Tayside 
  

887 
  



Ayrshire 
  

889 
  



Borders 
  

141 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

238 
  



Dumbarton 
  

371 
  



Edinburgh, East & Midlothian 
  

512 
  



Fife 
  

716 
  



Forth Valley 
  

475 
  



Glasgow 
  

1,594 
  



Grampian 
  

252 
  



Moray, Strathspey & Badenoch 
  

55 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

1,166 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

426 
  



West Lothian 
  

201 
  



Argyll & The Islands 
  

53 
  



Caithness and Sutherland 
  

50 
  



Inverness & Nairn 
  

63 
  



Lochaber 
  

12 
  



Western Isles 
  

28 
  



Orkney 
  

12 
  



Ross & Cromarty 
  

52 
  



Shetland 
  

13 
  



Skye & Lochalsh 
  

7 
  



Total 
  

8,213

Nursing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12809 by Susan Deacon on 7 February 2001, in what ways student nurses receive more financial support than students studying other disciplines.

Susan Deacon: Student nurses receive funding support by way of a non-means tested bursary and other allowances where appropriate. Generally other students in higher education are eligible to apply for support in the form of paid tuition fees and a partly means tested repayable loan.

  The main difference, therefore, is that some higher education students may get less support for living costs than others because their level of funding is dependent on family and personal circumstances; and that living costs support is partly repayable. By contrast the student nurses receive the fixed rate of bursary (lower and higher dependent on age) and paid tuition fees irrespective of circumstances.

  Arrangements for student nurse financial support are currently being reviewed.

Oil and Gas Industry

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11313 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 February 2001, whether it will detail any funding provided towards each of the oil and gas trade fairs listed.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Scottish Trade International and Scottish Enterprise provided funding as follows:

  


1998 
  



Offshore Technology Conference 
  

Houston, USA 
  

£35,000 
  



Offshore Northern Seas 
  

Stavanger, Norway 
  

£25,000 
  



Rio Oil & Gas 
  

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  

£10,000 
  



Offshore South East Asia 
  

Singapore 
  

£25,000 
  



1999 
  



Australasian Oil & Gas 
  

Perth, Australia 
  

£15,000 
  



Offshore Technology Conference 
  

Houston, USA 
  

£40,000 
  



Argentina Oil & Gas 
  

Buenos Aires, Argentina 
  

£5,000 
  



Offshore Europe 
  

Aberdeen, UK 
  

£85,000 
  



2000 
  



Offshore Technology Conference 
  

Houston, USA 
  

£40,000 
  



National Petroleum Show 
  

Calgary, Canada 
  

£20,000 
  



Offshore Northern Seas 
  

Stavanger, Norway 
  

£25,000 
  



Rio Oil & Gas 
  

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
  

£10,000 
  



Offshore South East Asia 
  

Singapore 
  

£25,000

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to police the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: Policing levels are an operational matter for the Chief Constable to decide. Funding for the police under section 32 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 is allocated in total to each force and is not earmarked by the Executive for specific purposes.

Police

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police will be required to provide security for the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Strathclyde Police will be discussing the security surrounding the Efficient Consumer Response Conference being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre from 15 May to 17 May 2001 with the organisers of the conference and, if so, what the relationship will be between the police and any security officers provided by the organisers.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable to decide.

Ports

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans and funding it has to support and promote ports as base or turn around ports.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive’s future strategy for ports is set out in the ports policy paper,  Modern Ports , published on 27 November 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. no. 9874). The paper provides a comprehensive statement of future policy on a wide range of issues relating to the ports industry, both devolved and reserved. It presents a strategy for devolved ports issues in the context of shared UK-wide policy aims, agreed between the Scottish Executive, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the devolved Administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland.

  The paper sets out objectives for the departments concerned to achieve through working together with the industry, its users and other interests. It recognises the importance of the ports industry in Scotland to the local and national economy and integrated transport policy and for the ports industry to develop and promote its commercial opportunities.

  Funding is available from the Executive for certain fishery related harbour development, for piers and harbours improvements in the Highlands and Islands and from the EC through European Funds in eligible areas. Freight Facility Grants can also be available for inland waterway projects which can include expenditure on ports and harbours.

Residential Care

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority-run nursing homes there are.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no local authority-run nursing homes. However, many private nursing homes have patients who receive local authority funding.

Residential Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps can be taken to ensure that local authorities give elderly people and their families the choice of care in council or private residential care homes in accordance with the Community Care Act 1993.

Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities are required by the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (Choice of Accommodation) Directions 1993 to take measures to ensure that people have a genuine choice over where they receive residential care. In conjunction, the Accounts Commission’s, Commissioning Community Care Services for Older People: Applying a Best Value Framework , provides councils with a framework for commissioning to secure Best Value care for older people, regardless of whether this is in council or private residential care homes.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the powers under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 have been used in each year since the Act came into force to require that improvements be made to unsatisfactory accesses to trunk roads.

Sarah Boyack: The information requested is not recorded by the Scottish Executive or its agents.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Road Network Management and Maintenance Division is producing new guidelines on the assessment of development proposals affecting trunk roads; when any such guidelines will be put to the Parliament for consideration, and, if there is no such date set, whether it will set a deadline for the completion of this work and the guidelines being put to the Parliament.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive, Road Network Management and Maintenance Division are in the process of preparing new guidelines on the assessment of development proposals that affect trunk roads. No specific timescale for the completion of these new guidelines has been set. However, once the guidelines are completed they will be published in draft form for consultation.

Roads

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what exploratory work has been or will be carried out on the upgrading of the M8 through the introduction of additional lanes; who is carrying out any such work, and what the estimated costs of this exploratory work are, broken down by financial year.

Sarah Boyack: There are no proposals to upgrade the M8 through the introduction of additional lanes.

Roads

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the trunk roads budget will be spent in the Highlands and Islands in each of the next three financial years.

Sarah Boyack: Our initial estimate is that around 15% of the overall trunk road budget will be spent in the North-West Unit, which covers most of the Highland Council area. The percentage will vary from year to year depending on whether new construction is underway.

Roads

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many kilometres of trunk roads there are in the Highlands and Islands and what this represents as a percentage of the overall trunk road network.

Sarah Boyack: There are no trunk roads in the three Islands Council areas. In the area of Highland Council there are 978 kilometres of trunk road which represents 28% of the overall trunk road network in Scotland.

Roads

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the B8007 between Kilchoan and Acharacle.

Sarah Boyack: The upgrading of this road is a matter for the Highland Council as the local roads authority for the area.

Schools

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6385 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 11 May 2000, whether the working group on the administration of medicines in schools has completed its work; if so, what its findings were and, if not, when its report is expected.

Mr Jack McConnell: The purpose of the working group was to prepare good practice guidance on the administration of medicines in schools. Draft guidance was issued to interested parties including education authorities, health boards, Trusts and voluntary organisations. I have placed copies of the draft Guidance in SPICe. The closing date for responses was 29 December and the comments received are now being considered. Final guidance will be published in due course.

Schools

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make representations to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding the proposed closure of Lews Castle School in Stornoway and whether it has received any petitions from local people on this matter.

Mr Jack McConnell: No. The proposed closure of Lews Castle School is a matter for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. A copy of a petition was received in November 2000.

Schools

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the criteria for assessing the maximum number of pupils which schools can accommodate in the light of any increased space requirements flowing from, for example, increasing use of IT in classrooms.

Mr Jack McConnell: It is the responsibility of individual authorities to determine the capacities of their schools. However, during the passage of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000, ministers agreed to review issues relating to school capacity in the light of the new provisions on placing requests. This review will include the effects of increasing use of IT equipment in schools.

Scottish Executive Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis, in terms of replacement cost, actual cost and any other categories used, the capital value of assets used by its core and associated departments and its agencies has been assessed.

Angus MacKay: The tangible fixed assets of the Scottish Executive, its associated departments and its agencies are valued in accordance with the principles set out in the Resource Accounting Manual .

  The annual accounts of each body state the detailed accounting policies, including the basis of valuation, of each class of fixed asset. The 1999-2000 annual accounts of agencies have been published. The resource accounts for the core department and associated departments will shortly be laid before the Parliament.

Scottish Executive Publications

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10967 by Angus MacKay on 18 January 2001, whether it will provide details of the companies sub-contracted by Tactica Solutions and how much each of them received from Tactica Solutions through its contract with them since 1 July 1999.

Angus MacKay: The commercial relationships between Tactica Solutions and its sub-contractors and suppliers are private, contractual matters.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, whether the winter examination diet in 2001-02 will include examinations in all subjects and at all levels for which examinations are set in the summer diet and whether there will be any restrictions on which candidates are able to sit examinations in the winter diet.

Mr Jack McConnell: The subjects which will be examined in the 2001-02 winter examination diet are Care, English and Communication, Biology, Administration and Mathematics. The winter diet is aimed primarily at further education students, but schools may enter candidates if they wish to do so.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, when the winter 2001-02 diet of examinations is scheduled to take place.

Mr Jack McConnell: Between 14 and 18 January 2002.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, when the timetable for the winter 2001-02 diet of examinations will be available.

Mr Jack McConnell: Following a consultation exercise, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) issued the exam timetable for the winter diet to College Principals, Directors of Education and the Scottish Council of Independent Schools on 1 March this year. Printed copies will be available shortly. Details are also on the SQA website.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10428 by Mr Jack McConnell on 1 March 2001, by what date the names of candidates who intend to sit examinations during the 2001-02 winter diet will require to be notified to the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Qualifications Authority will contact centres advising them of administrative and operational arrangements for the winter diet following the summer diet.

Teacher Training

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which universities have offered a Btech Ed course since 1997 and how many students enrolled in each course.

Mr Jack McConnell: The number of students enrolled on Secondary Teacher Training Courses with Technological Education as their main subject, 1997-98 to 1999-2000, by institution and year, is given in the table:

  





1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  



Total 
  

237 
  

201 
  

165 
  



Moray House Institute of Education1


83 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Northern College of Education 
  

6 
  

7 
  

7 
  



The University of Edinburgh 
  

0 
  

74 
  

55 
  



The University of Glasgow 
  

85 
  

77 
  

70 
  



The University of Strathclyde 
  

63 
  

43 
  

33 
  



  Source: HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency).

  Notes:

  1. Moray House Institute of Education merged with University of Edinburgh on 1 August 1998.

Teachers

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers were employed per (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil in each year for which figures are available and how many are expected to be employed in any future years for which projections are available.

Mr Jack McConnell: Historical figures for pupil:teacher ratios are published regularly in Statistical Bulletins. The following table sets out the pupil:teacher ratio for publicly funded primary and secondary schools for selected years since 1980 together with the fraction of a teacher per pupil derived from them. Projections on a similar basis from 2000 up to 2015 are also given. These projections take into account the additional teachers planned following the recent agreement on teachers’ pay and conditions.

  


Year (September) 
  

Number of teachers (FTE) per primary pupil 
  

Number of teachers (FTE) per secondary pupil 
  

Number of pupils per primary teacher(FTE) 
  

Number of pupils per secondary teacher (FTE) 
  



1980 
  

0.049 
  

0.070 
  

20.3 
  

14.4 
  



1985 
  

0.049 
  

0.074 
  

20.4 
  

13.5 
  



1990 
  

0.051 
  

0.082 
  

19.5 
  

12.2 
  



1995 
  

0.051 
  

0.078 
  

19.5 
  

12.9 
  



1996 
  

0.051 
  

0.077 
  

19.6 
  

13.0 
  



1997 
  

0.050 
  

0.076 
  

19.9 
  

13.2 
  



1998 
  

0.052 
  

0.077 
  

19.4 
  

13.0 
  



1999 
  

0.052 
  

0.078 
  

19.1 
  

12.9 
  



2000 
  

0.053 
  

0.078 
  

18.9 
  

12.9 
  



2001 
  

0.053 
  

0.078 
  

18.8 
  

12.9 
  



2002 
  

0.055 
  

0.078 
  

18.3 
  

12.8 
  



2003 
  

0.056 
  

0.078 
  

17.8 
  

12.8 
  



2004 
  

0.058 
  

0.079 
  

17.3 
  

12.7 
  



2005 
  

0.059 
  

0.079 
  

17.0 
  

12.7 
  



2006 
  

0.059 
  

0.079 
  

16.9 
  

12.7 
  



2010 
  

0.060 
  

0.080 
  

16.7 
  

12.5 
  



2015 
  

0.060 
  

0.081 
  

16.7 
  

12.4

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1786 by Sarah Boyack on 17 May 2000, why the Scottish ministers did not lay before the Parliament in December 2000 their proposals for the setting of a national road traffic reduction target as required by the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998.

Sarah Boyack: My previous answer was based on an expectation that research commissioned to inform the road traffic reduction report would have been completed. However, the research proved more complex than anticipated at that time and the final report is not yet ready. Once received, its conclusions will need to be analysed and a decision taken on whether further work is required.

  The road traffic reduction report will now form an integral part of Scotland’s Transport Delivery Plan which is expected to be published later in the year.

Vaccines

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to structure the BCG vaccination programme to ensure that all appropriate pupils are vaccinated as soon as possible.

Malcolm Chisholm: We expect discussions regarding the restored supply of the BCG vaccine to be concluded shortly.

  The Executive wrote to health board immunisation co-ordinators in Scotland on 15 March to establish how many secondary school children are currently eligible to be vaccinated but who remain unvaccinated. Priority will be given to those pupils due to leave school this summer.

Water

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for consulting on the provisions proposed for the Water Services Bill.

Ross Finnie: A consultation paper on the Water Services Bill is being published today. It describes the Executive’s proposals for creating a single all Scotland public water authority and for establishing a regulatory framework to ensure that increasing competition in the water industry benefits customers, while safeguarding public health, the environment and social objectives. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. no. 12181) and will be available shortly on the Executive website. The deadline for comments on the paper to reach the Scottish Executive is 13 June 2001

Water Supply

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation exercise on the fluoridation of the water supply will commence; how the exercise will be conducted, and who will be consulted.

Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change  the Executive proposes a wide-ranging consultation on children’s oral health, which will seek views on a range of measures, including ways in which the benefit of fluoride can be made available, for example through the fluoridation of public water supplies or by means of fluoridated drinks or tablets. A draft consultation paper and arrangements for the consultation are currently being developed and will be announced in due course.